August 06, 2024
'Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story'
The Ringer's Craig Horlbeck, Danny Heifetz, and Danny Kelly remember to dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge as they rewatch the 2004 comedy classic 'Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story,' starring Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, and Christine Taylor.
Cast
Vince Vaughn as Peter LaFleur
Ben Stiller as White Goodman
Christine Taylor as Kate Veatch
Justin Long as Justin
Stephen Root as Gordon
Alan Tudyk as Steve the Pirate
Rip Torn as Patches O'Houlihan
Gary Cole as Cotton McKnight
Jason Bateman as Pepper Brooks
Missy Pyle as Fran
Hank Azaria as Young Patches O'Houlihan
Directed by: Rawson Marshall Thurber
Written by: Rawson Marshall Thurber
Notes
- Budget of $18 million, grossed $160 million. Opened at $30 million, beating Spielberg/Hanks' The Terminal ($19 million).
- 92-minute runtime. The hosts call it 'an underdog Rewatchable' – everyone's seen it, probably nobody's top 5 comedy, but arguably the most quoted movie of its era alongside Anchorman.
- Dodgeball made twice as much money as Anchorman and the same as Talladega Nights, but doesn't get the same cultural credit.
- Director Rawson Marshall Thurber went to USC, wrote the script in his early 20s, and sent red dodge balls stenciled with the movie name to every studio. Todd Phillips suggested Vince Vaughn for the role.
- Ben Stiller took less than $1 million salary to get the movie made (Fox's condition). A big table read with most of the eventual cast convinced Fox to greenlight it.
- Thurber also created the Terry Tate: Office Linebacker Super Bowl commercial – one of the best ever – which proved he could direct comedy.
- ESPN the Ocho was invented by Thurber watching ESPN2 and joking about 'the deuce.' ESPN has since made it a real programming block with pillow fighting and cheese rolling.
- Jason Bateman shot all his Cotton/Pepper scenes in five hours with no actual footage to react to, improvising throughout.
- Rip Torn had no idea what movie he was in, was mean to Justin Long, had a handler to keep him from leaving set. Would get in a van and drive away for hours.
- Justin Long went temporarily blind from JUGS machine shots to the face and had CT scans. Twisted ankles and possible concussions across the cast.
- Chuck Norris flew in by helicopter, did one line ('Thank you'), gave a thumbs up, and left.
- Average Joe's jerseys are based on the 'Hoosiers' jerseys.
- Bill Simmons originally gave it a 6.5/10 in 2004 but later acknowledged he 'very much underrated the rewatchability.'
- The hosts discuss how this was the last era where movies were the main thing you quoted with friends, before YouTube and TikTok.
Categories
Roger Ebert's review
Quote from Rog's review:
“Targets are easy, but hitting them is a skill, and the movie hardly ever misses.”
Craig: 'I kind of don't care what Roger Ebert thinks about Dodgeball.' Ebert's review was short – basically calling it 'a silly, zany movie.'
Most re-watchable scene
- Craig: The final match sequence, from the Lance Armstrong scene through sudden death.
- Danny Heifetz: The training montage with Patches – wrenches, dodging traffic, the 5 D's of dodgeball.
- Other contenders: Globo Gym commercial opening, White Goodman tasing his nipples, the Vegas tournament with ESPN the Ocho, the post-credit milkshakes dance.
What aged the best?
- ESPN the Ocho – ESPN has literally incorporated it into real programming.
- Globo Gym as a concept (basically predicted Equinox).
- 'White Goodman' as an all-time movie villain name.
- 92-minute runtime – 'Make movies shorter.'
- Vince Vaughn's nihilism: 'If you don't have a goal, you're never disappointed.' Danny Heifetz: thought Peter was a loser at 11 but relates at 30.
- Cotton McKnight and Pepper Brooks – all-time great movie announcers alongside Bob Uecker in 'Major League'.
What aged the worst?
- Lance Armstrong as a motivational figure – the #1 answer.
- Some stereotype teams in the tournament (Kamikaze team, Skill-z That Kill-z).
- Everything Patches says (generally problematic).
- The climax relying on Vince Vaughn betting on his own team – now viewed through the lens of Calvin Ridley / Pete Rose gambling suspensions.
Cruise or Hanks?
Cruise wins
Cruise as White Goodman (Danny Heifetz: could do Tropic Thunder-style White Goodman). Hanks as Peter LaFleur. Tom Hanks was literally in The Terminal which competed with Dodgeball that weekend.
Over-acting award
- Ben Stiller – everything he says is overacting, but 90% of it works. The 'grease monkeys' scene during the final match is the most overacting that doesn't quite land.
- Steve the Pirate's entire concept is overacting by design.
The hottest take award
- Craig: Peter LaFleur sucks – terrible businessman, sexually harasses Kate, low-key alcoholic, accepts a bribe.
- Danny Heifetz: Ben Stiller is the best nepo baby in Hollywood.
- Craig: Justin Long could have been his generation's Matthew Broderick.
Best "that guy"
- Gary Cole (Cotton McKnight / Lumbergh from Office Space).
- Alan Tudyk (Steve the Pirate).
- Jason Bateman's Pepper Brooks – shot everything in five hours, pure improv.
Best "heat check" performance
- Jason Bateman as Pepper Brooks – improvised all his scenes in five hours without watching any actual footage.
- Gary Cole and Bateman together 'just sending it every scene.'
Re-casting couch
- 2024 recast: Glenn Powell as White Goodman, Adam Driver as Peter LaFleur.
- Observation: barely any actors in their 30s now who could fill these slapstick comedy roles.
Half-assed (internet) research
- The movie kick-started a dodgeball boom across the country; leagues popped up everywhere.
- Vince Vaughn took the cast to strip clubs during Vegas filming; gave Chris Williams $400 to stay at 4am.
- Missy Pyle's Fran was originally supposed to be a fembot (Austin Powers style).
- The unrated DVD has a fake director's commentary where Stiller shows up 20 minutes late and they fight.
Apex Mountain
- Ben Stiller: 2004 – 'Along Came Polly', Dodgeball, Anchorman cameo, Starsky & Hutch, Meet the Fockers. Four movies in one year.
- The sport of dodgeball: 'Trillion percent.'
- Announcers in movies: Up there with Bob Uecker in 'Major League'.
Picking nits
- How could Peter buy a controlling interest in Globo Gym with just $2 million?
- 50-to-1 odds and a sportsbook taking $100K from the captain of the team.
- The 'double fault' / sudden death rule in the final match makes no sense.
- Average Joe's jerseys appear before Owen supposedly gets them new ones.
Who won the movie?
Ben Stiller – got the movie made for under $1M salary, it earned $160 million, White Goodman became one of the most iconic sports comedy characters ever.
Best (or worst!) life lessons from the movie
Bet on yourself – always put $100K on a 50-to-1 underdog bet.
Best double feature for this movie
Talladega Nights (slapstick sports comedy). 'Happy Gilmore' / Kingpin (uncommon sports comedy). Zoolander (same people: Ben Stiller, Christine Taylor, Jerry Stiller).